S8 THE FLOKAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 



hurricane of 55 lb. pressure per square foot. The perfectly ripened 

 specimens exhibited attest the vitality of Maize when treated with 

 common care. A few observations must now be made on the 



Uses of Maize. — It would be without interest here to speak of 

 the numerous purposes to which this most valuable plant is put 

 when in a dried state, in tropical regions. The drought of past 

 seasons shows the need of adding to our resources, if possible, what- 

 ever green fodder can be grown. There are certain kinds of Maize 

 better adapted by their growth than others to fulfil this object, being 

 hardy and rapid in increase, and at the same time abounding in sac- 

 charine juices, which animals will devour greedily. Even the stalks 

 when hard can be utilized by slicing them, so that there is really no 

 waste. Mention having been made of these varieties in the French 

 scientific journals, a pressing request was sent here for a large quan- 

 tity of seed for Brittany, there to be cut down and used as forage 

 during the drought. 



Cultuee. — The seeds should be sown in common raisin-boxes 

 during April — early in the month in the south, and later in the north 

 of Eugland. In the Channel Islands they were sown in boxes very 

 early in April, and planted out three weeks after. These boxes 

 should be placed in a cool vinery, orchard-house, or pit, and the 

 plants hardened off before planting. This would be best in May, 

 earlier or later according to the season or locality, which a short 

 experience would decide. The risk of the young plants is common 

 to other vegetables — that of suffering from spring frosts ; a little 

 protection would obviate all this. But this season Mr. Dancer, of 

 Cbiswick, we are told, sowed a quantity of Maize in the open ground 

 in March. It was cut down by the frost, sprang up again from the 

 root, and yielded a heavy crop. 



By the end of July our Maize plants were already seven feet high, 

 and were then secured from high winds by stout stakes at intervals, 

 and thin cords stretched between them, to which the rows were easily 

 tied. Not being able to give waterings, which materially aid the 

 growth of a plant which luxuriates in the rich alluvial valleys of 

 tropical countries, we had planted in shallow trenches filled with 

 manure, and three inches of soil above it. These trenches retained 

 the casual showers, and were gradually earthed in. As for celery, 

 the manure kept the roots perfectly fresh, and two slight waterings 

 of liquid manure were given during the very dry summer. This 

 attention is not greater than is always given to peas and other 

 vegetables. Failures are traceable to a neglect either of some, or 

 even of all, of these means. 



It is not quite so easy to ascertain the exact time to take the ears 

 as "green corn" for the table. A day or two makes considerable 

 change in their consistency. When as large and as hard as Marrow- 

 1 it peas, from twenty to thirty minutes' boiling is enough. Serve 

 with fresh butter to spread over them, and they are thus ready. All 

 the uses made of peas for soups and stews are common to green 

 Maize. The ears can also be roasted before the fire. When dry, 

 these fine white varieties would produce good flour for pastry, etc. 



Maize, in our climate, requires five months to mature the seeds 



